Golf balls, whether of solid or wound construction, generally include a core and at least a cover or outer coating. Solid golf balls, as compared with wound balls, provide better distance than wound balls due to their lower driver initial spin. Meanwhile, the wound construction provides a softer “feel” and higher spin rate—characteristics often preferred by accomplished golfers who are able to control the ball's flight and positioning.
The properties of a conventional solid ball may be modified by altering the typical single layer core and single cover layer construction to provide a ball having at least one intermediate layer disposed between the cover and the core. The core may be solid or fluid-filled, and may be formed of a single layer or one or more layers. Covers, in addition to cores, may also be formed of one or more layers. These multi-layer cores and covers are sometimes known as “dual core” and “dual cover” golf balls, respectively. One piece golf balls are also available. The difference in play characteristics resulting from these different types of constructions can be quite significant. The playing characteristics of multi-layer balls, such as spin and compression, can be tailored by varying the properties of one or more of the core, intermediate and/or cover layers. By altering golf ball construction and composition, manufacturers can vary a wide range of playing characteristics such as resilience, durability, spin, and “feel”, optimizing each according to various playing abilities and achieving a solid golf ball possessing feel characteristics more like their wound predecessors.
Meanwhile, color in a golf ball, being a dominant visual feature, is also capable of positively contributing to and enhancing a golfer's game by improving the player's ability to focus on the golf ball when swinging a club and striking the ball. For example, it is desirable that a golfer's eye be drawn to the ball easily. By keeping an eye on the ball, the golfer is able to remain focused on the immediate task at hand of maintaining hand-eye coordination and producing great balance during swing with consistent spine angle in order for the club face to strike the golf ball with just the right force, depending on the chosen club and desired distance. In this way, a golf ball's unique visual appearance can influence and improve the golfer's physical performance substantially.
Furthermore, golf balls that are attractive and exude superior quality will also positively contribute to the psychological aspects of a golfer's game by boosting the golfer's confidence and morale, thereby motivating, inspiring and ultimately peaking performance on the green. Additionally, visually superior golf balls may be spotted and located more easily on the golf course, thereby reducing a player's stress level which naturally translates into improved scores. Accordingly, golf ball manufacturers desire to incorporate color in golf balls in order to beneficially impact and improve both the physical and emotional/psychological aspects of a golfer's game.
Toward this end, golf ball manufacturers have heretofore applied several well-known and widely accepted color spaces for defining, measuring and incorporating color in golf balls. Certain terms, such as hue, saturation and chroma traverse each of these color spaces. In fact, some basic qualities and aspects of hue, saturation and chroma hold true irrespective of the particular color space adopted to define color. Accordingly, there remains a need for golf balls possessing superior overall color appearance as perceived by the human eye, achieved by coordinating these basic qualities. The present invention addresses and solves this problem.